Protecting all heritage sites from the impact of climate change “just may not be possible,” according to a National Trust manager.
Justin Scully, manager of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, said extreme heat, heavy rainfall and wildfire risk were already affecting gardens, moorland and historic structures.
He said heavy rain could overwhelm drainage systems and penetrate walls, causing damp and erosion, while repeated cycles of wetting, drying, freezing and thawing could harm stonework.
Flooding could also undermine foundations, while hotter, dry conditions could increase the risk of subsidence and wildfires.
Scully said the organisation may have to accept it cannot save everything as it is today.
“These last two summers have really brought this home to ourselves and to our visitors,” he said.
“Climate change isn’t a thing that’s happening out there to other people, it’s actually impacting ourselves and the places we love. The threat is tangible.”
The National Trust is planning for more extreme weather by looking at what could happen to the properties and landscapes it manages over the next 40 years.
“We’ve got to think about what could be the worst possible outcome and then work backwards from that,” Scully said.
At Fountains Abbey, this could include increasing drainage capacity and gutters to cope with heavier rainfall.
It could also result in changing the appearance of the gardens.
Scully said the trust needed to be “more open to how we would adapt,” with gardens potentially becoming “less manicured”.
“People expect things to look perfect and crisp,” he said.
